The official pre-kickoff to summer is only a few days away and I bet you guys are ready to have some fun! For this Memorial Day weekend, I’m sharing some past kimchi fusion recipes that are totally summer-inspired and easy to make. Each recipe has flavor, presentation and just a fun blend of summery items we all commonly have but with a twist. From kimchi gazpacho to kimchi potato salad, there is a range for everyone. All 8 recipes have its full link to the complete recipe. Continue reading for more info, which recipe would you want to make first?
Ramen Breakfast Toast
Every now and again I come across a recipe that completely blows me away. Case in point: Cravings. Christine is a writer/food blogger with a talent in food photography as well. I'm always left inspired after visiting her work, but when I came across her ramen breakfast toast on Beautiful Cuisines on Instagram, I had to re-create it! I've never tried making ramen 'toast' and was extremely curious how this recipe would pan out, let alone how it would taste together with all the different flavors. And oh boy, let me just say - they invented #foodgasm specifically for this toast.
First the latest food trend was all about rice buns, and now ramen toast. And I can understand why. All you need is some salt and eggs to coat the cooked ramen before frying it in a pan (individually) with a little bit of vegetable oil. It was not that difficult to make, though I will say that if you're not that confident at boiling eggs, just be sure to make extra for back-up. To get that nice, soft runny egg, time it at 6.5 minutes. But like I said, it depends on a lot of factors so just put a couple more eggs in for good measure. You'll be good to go!
Photos by: Suzanne Spiegoski // Recipe by: What Do You Crave
Ingredients:
2 packets instant ramen
4 eggs
Salt
Vegetable oil for frying
1 cup diced tomato
1 small jalapeno, minced
¼ cup diced red onion
1-2 Tbsp. sweet soy sauce*
1 tsp. fresh grated ginger
1 lime
1 avocado
Nori
Chili flakes, optional
Sriracha, optional
Directions:
Make the Ramen “Toast”
Cook ramen noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cool water for about 15 seconds.
Whisk together two eggs with a little salt and carefully mix in noodles.
Divide noodles evenly into 4 ramekins or bowls. Use plastic wrap to press noodles into bottom of the bowls and help hold shape.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Make the Soft-boiled Eggs
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil then reduce to a gentle simmer.
Carefully add in 2 eggs, one at a time, with a slotted spoon.
Cook for about 6.5 minutes for a soft, runny yolk and set white. Use a timer!
This takes practice to get right and sometimes you may find you need to adjust your cooking time to get it just right. I would recommend cooking a few extra eggs at different increments just to test it out.
Remove eggs with spoon and place into an ice bath to stop cooping process. Carefully peel and set aside until ready to use.
Prep your Toppings
Combine tomato, onion, jalapeno, ginger, and juice from half a lime in a bowl.
Add in 1 Tbsp. of sweet soy sauce and taste test before adding more. Not all soy sauce is created equal, some are saltier than others.
Mix to combine and set aside.
Slice avocado however you see fit and use the other half of the lime to prevent it from turning brown.
Cook “Toast” and Assemble
In a large non-stick pan heat a thin layer of vegetable oil over medium heat.
Carefully plop noodle “toast” out into pan. I’d do one at a time.
Cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until lightly crisp and golden.
Top each toast with nori, ¼ of the avocado slices, ¼ cup pico de gallo, and ½ of a soft boiled egg.
Serve with chili flakes or Sriracha and enjoy!
In the recipe there's a delightful homemade pico de gallo (I always manage to sting my fingers after chopping up jalapeños ha ha) with a nice heat to it. Adding thin layers of avocado brings a creamy buttery sensation to the mix. And the seaweed combined with the soft boiled egg? It's tastes a lot like regular ramen noodle soup, but without all the slurping and with varied textures. For more spiciness, add Sriracha sauce and red pepper chili flakes. I totally loved making this dish! And it's not just for breakfast, you can have this for lunch and dinner too!
I can't wait to do my own twist on the ramen breakfast toast. There's so many ways to make it! You could use kimchi, sausage, radish, and other breakfast-like toppings. So glad I was able to work with a recipe first that not only was had me try something new, but more especially, discovering new tastes in flavors. Thanks again, Christine for such an awesome recipe! I could have waited and done my own creation on this idea, but this one was too good not to share! To see more of Christine and her overall super star-ness, go check out Cravings now!
LOVE & XX'S,
FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ
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Kimchi Potato Salad
Happy Fourth of July, everyone! On this day it is my tradition to cook like a mad woman in the kitchen. I normally barbecue ribs or fry up some chicken, but since creating my blog, I've been heavily creating most of my recipes to be Korean-fusion inspired. One of my favorite side dishes for an occasion like today is classic-American potato salad. If you know me well, I could survive off of potatoes. Must be the Polish in me.
So I created my traditional potato salad, but with a twist! I added in some Napa cabbage Kimchi, juice included, to give this dish some heat and tanginess. For extra spice, I also included a couple of generous tablespoons of gochujang, a Korean red pepper paste. I would say this can be optional if you're not as much into spiciness like I am. If you're not into spice at all, you can omit the gochujang along with the kimchi and still make an awesome OG potato salad. :)
Be sure not to over cook either the potatoes or eggs. A mushy potato salad is neither appealing or very tasteful. In terms of texture, you want to make sure the potatoes are cooked tender but still firm. This usually takes about fifteen minutes. As for the eggs, always submerge them in cold water rather than hot when you first begin to cook them. This prevents the eggs from cracking and becoming overcooked.
recipe + photos by © Suzanne Spiegoski
Kimchi Potato Salad
Ingredients:
5 potatoes
3 eggs
16 oz cabbage kimchi, chopped with juice
2 Tbsp gochujang
1c celery, chopped
1/2c red onion, chopped
1/2c sweet pickle relish
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp Alderwood smoked sea salt
1/4 tsp celery salt
1 Tbsp prepared Dijon mustard
1/4c mayonnaise
fresh ground black pepper to taste
black sesames seeds and scallion for garnish
Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool, peel and chop.
Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil; cover, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop.
In a large bowl, combine kimchi, gochujang, celery, onion, relish, garlic salt, alderwood smoked sea salt, celery salt, mustard, mayonnaise and pepper. Add in potatoes and eggs. Mix together well and refrigerate until chilled.
For garnish, I used green onion for color and crispness, (red onion is also best in a potato salad, in my opinion, for these reasons as well) and black sesame seeds for the final detail. This side dish is perfect to bring to any barbecue or family/friend get-together, especially on a day like today, or any other summer event you may have planned for the remainder of the season. This did not last long in my kitchen!
Don't go too far, I've got new and exciting posts coming later this week! One post will be focusing on MaQ and dog walking in a big city such as New York and I will also be sharing my very first travel diary from our anniversary trip to Cape Cod last week! I can't wait to share! In the meantime, have a fun & safe Fourth. Love you all! God Bless America.
LOVE & XX'S,
FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ
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Kimchi Gazpacho
The long weekend is almost here! Hallelujah! What are your plans for Memorial Day? Going out of town? Vacay trip? Staycation? With the weather now warming up, especially here in New York, where the past couple of days have risen up to the near 90's, I created a new recipe suited for the start to summer! Now that it's getting hotter and the fact that I love soup, I did my own twist on one of my favorite summer soups, gazpacho.
One of my favorite strolls through the city is at the Union Square Green Market. They have everything from jams & honey to fresh farmer's fruit & vegetables, to even flowers, cheese, bread and wine. The works! I love going with the boys for a little quality time along with getting the best produce to cook with! And what's more awesome? They always got new herbs and veggies to work with, such as chive blossoms and red scallions, both of which I have yet to experiment with! I even saw fiddleheads!
Kimchi Gazpacho
Serves 2-3
recipe + photos by © Suzanne Spiegoski
Ingredients:
3 c chopped tomatoes (peeled and seeded)
1/2 c kimchi with juice (chopped)
1/2 c Kirby cucumber (peeled and chopped)
1 large garlic clove, chopped
3 tbs rice wine
salt & pepper to taste
Chive blossoms & red scallions, for garnish, optional
Directions:
In a blender, puree tomatoes, kimchi, cucumber, and garlic. Add rice wine, salt, and pepper. Taste for accurate seasonings. Chill. Pour into bowl(s), garnish, and serve immediately.
Using staple ingredients within a gazpacho such as tomatoes, Kirby cucumbers, onion, and garlic, I incorporated some Napa cabbage kimchi to give this chilled soup a bit of heat. Gazpacho is simple to make. Takes less than twenty minutes to prep and complete. Waiting for the soup to chill is the hardest part! I hate waiting to eat! Ha ha!
I've been wanting to elevate my dishes to another level and have been working on better garnishing my plates. To me, garnishes are vital when completing the look of a meal. In this case, gazpacho would look pretty bland without any decorative gems on top! So instead of using chives or green onion, I went for something completely different and totally out of my normal 'comfort' cooking zone. Never have I tried chive flowers, but now I've got a feeling I'll be sprinkling these onto everything!
LOVE & XX'S
FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ
Gochujang Potato Pierogies
Monday's back with a vengeance and the weekend went by rather too quickly. My latest posts have been focused on Mother's Day and of course, my own Ma. As a last, final tribute to the woman who created me, and in reflection to celebrating life and mothers this week, I had to end it with some time spent in the kitchen, cooking... naturally. But what did I end up making?
I, for the longest time, have been wanting to create and (DUH) share with you guys this recipe I've been working on for a while now! In honor of my parent's heritages, (I'm Korean and Polish, with a slight chance of a little Ukrainian in there), I wanted to create a Korean fusion-inspired dish that not only reflects me but more so, both of my parents. So, I did a twist on the traditional pierogi and made the filling Korean-flavor based!
Gochujang Potato Pierogies
Serves 6 - 8
Ingredients:
Filling:
Photos and recipe by © Suzanne Spiegoski
5 medium potatoes
½ of an onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
4-5 TB gochujang (depending on spice preference)
1 TB brown sugar
1 TB honey
1 TB rice wine
3 TB soy sauce
1 TB sesame oil
1 tsp ginger, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Dough:
3 cups whole purpose flour
½ cup warm milk
½ to ¾ cup of warm water (depending on how much your flour soaks)
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
A pinch of salt
Toppings:
2 green onion, chopped
sesame seeds
½ cup of sour cream
kimchi
2 tsp sriracha sauce
2 tablespoon of vegetable oil for frying
Up close & personal.
Directions:
For the filling:
- Place potatoes, half of an onion, and garlic in a pot, cover with water and cook until tender
- Once cooked, drain and use a hand blender or potato masher, so the potato mixture doesn't have lumps
- Add gochujang, brown sugar, honey, rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, and ginger. Add salt & pepper, mix well. Should have a nice pinkish red color.
For the dough:
- Pour the flour into large bowl
- Add a pinch of salt
- Make a little hole in a middle and start adding milk and butter
- Add a little water at the time and work the dough until you can form a ball about 10-15 minutes
- Once done, cover and rest for about 25 minutes
- Roll the dough until thin (like pasta) and using either cookie cutter or large wine glass cut the circles (use wax paper to avoid a sticky, messy, clean-up!)
- Place 1 teaspoon of filling in the middle of the circle
Wet one-half of the circle with water (use brush or fingers) and then seal together - Use vegetable oil to fry pierogi on each side until golden brown
For the toppings:
- Add onions and sesame seeds on top with pierogies and serve with sour cream (kimchi, sriracha sauce, & black pepper mixed in)
- Enjoy immediately
The filling inside is mostly potato, but it's the spices that give the normal pierogi an extra punch of flavor. Consisted of gochujang (Korean red pepper paste), soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, rice wine, honey and sesame oil, these vibrant and authentic spices are sure to put a twist on any good old fashioned Polish dumpling!
Coming up this week on the blog, a new play on my editorial/fashion series! Since it's been raining nonstop this week here in New York City, we did a more moody-themed shoot and also shot indoors! Basically, I'm expanding more into moods and tones, and not just fashion. Trying to capture more feeling. I'm also looking into creating my next Soju cocktail! Stay tuned! I can't wait to upload! You can check out my latest cocktail here, which was also featured on foodgawker! Happy Monday, beautiful people! Let's get it! 😊🙌